Leicester
Date of Review: 13th February 2025 (first review 6th September 2022)
RCA Reviewers:
Address: The Racecourse, Oadby, Leicester, LE2 4AL
Website: https://www.leicester-racecourse.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leicesterraces/
X: https://x.com/leicesterraces
Email: info@leciester-racecourse.com
Phone: 0116 2716515
Accommodation: https://www.expedia.co.uk/Leicester-Racecourse-Hotels.0-l6087775-0.Travel-Guide-Filter-Hotels
Track Layout: (Image: courtesy of & acknowledged to At The Races)
Course Information: Leicester Racecourse is somewhere between a rectangle and an oval in shape. It is a right-handed, dual-purpose (both flat and jumps) track that is one mile and six furlongs in circumference. The hurdle races are run on the outer flat course. The inner chase course has ten fences, two open ditches, and one water jump. It is a downhill run after the home turn, with an uphill finish of around three furlongs that can sometimes catch both the horses and jockeys out.
The course suits horses who can stay and see out a trip. The flat track has a long straight that the five- and seven-furlong races are run on, and several top trainers race their juvenile horses here to test their speed and ability.
The Racecourse Advisor Guide to Leicester Racecourse: The racecourse is located in Oadby, East Midlands, about 3 miles from the city centre.
Location Map - Leicester Racecourse
Leicester has a rich horse racing history dating back to 1603 when racing was held at Abbey Meadow. In 1883, the course moved to its current location in Oadby. During this time, it hosted several of the country's wealthiest and most prestigious races, such as the Prince of Wales Stakes and the Portland Stakes, which had more prize money than any of the five most important Classic races.
In 1982, Leicester Racecourse was also the scene of one of the most notorious betting scandals in the history of British racing: the Flockton Grey ringer case. More information on this little saga can be found here: https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/horseracing/13866451/flockton-grey-betting-scandal-richardson/
The racecourse also has numerous other claims to fame, including the famous jockey Gordon Richards, who 1921 rode the first-ever winner of his illustrious career at Leicester on a horse named Gay Lord. Also, the legendary steeplechaser Golden Miller, who won five consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups between 1932 and 1936 and the Grand National in 1934, won his first race at Leicester in 1931—the Gopsall Maiden Hurdle, where he went off as the 5/4 favourite.
In 2025, Leicester Racecourse has 25 meetings scheduled, eighteen flat and seven jumps fixtures, which are held from February to December. The most valuable race held here is the £50,000 King Richard III Handicap Stakes, which is run over a mile in April each year.
Course Access:
By Road: The racecourse is situated at the junction of the A6 and the main Leicester outer ring road (A563). From the M1 (exit junction 21) or M69. However, it can be a difficult run from here, as you pass the large Fosse Park retail site. This road gets heavily congested due to numerous sets of traffic lights and roundabouts. Leicester city centre is around 4 miles from the racecourse. The signage from the motorway to the racecourse is good.
By Rail: Leicester Railway Station is only two miles from the racecourse. It is on the Midland Main Line, which runs from London St Pancras to Sheffield and Nottingham. There is a taxi rank immediately outside the station, and two Arriva Sapphire buses run from the train station and stop directly outside the racecourse.
By Air: The nearest airports to Leicester Racecourse are East Midlands (EMA), 19 miles away; Birmingham (BHX), 43 miles away; London Luton (LTN), 74 miles away; and Manchester Airport (MAN), 102 miles away. Helicopters can land at the racecourse, but only by prior arrangement. Rating: 7/10.
Parking: Parking at the course is free of charge and very good. The main public car park is “Car Park A,” which is a very large, grassed area. From here, it is approximately a 200-yard walk to the main entrance. There is also an overspill car park for very busy days. Rating: 10/10.
Pricing: The day of our visit was a Thursday afternoon meeting. The six-race card consisted of one Class-3 race, one Class-5 race, and four Class-5 races, so it was low-grade racing. The entry price at the turnstiles on the day was £22.00. There was a £2.00 concession discount for the over-65s and children under the age of 18. However, if booked online in advance, tickets were also available to anyone for £20.00. For a six-race card of low-level racing, we think the pricing was just about OK. The good news is that payment at the turnstiles is either cash or card, which makes a refreshing change.
A hospitality option for £90.00 was available in the Nelson restaurant, which overlooks the racecourse. It included admission, a three-course meal, cheese and biscuits, and a race card. Rating: 7/10.
Racecard: The racecard was 30 pages, including the inside front and rear covers, and cost £3.00. It contained 15 pages of advertisements and four pages of terms and conditions, “Important Notices,” rules on betting, and the names of the course officials, which no one, and do we mean no one, ever reads. Therefore, a total of 19 pages, which is a whopping 63% of the racecard, was of little or no interest or value to the paying customer on the day. Why even bother, we ask?
Screenshots of the “racedayready” free racecard
It did contain an excellent 2-page course map showing the position of all of the facilities on the racecourse, which was excellent. However, in our opinion, It is nothing but a complete rip-off, and our advice is to keep your £3.00 in your pocket. The sensible alternative is to download the free “racedayready” race card on your phone. This is a mobile site that includes 55 British racecourses and provides basic information about each of these courses on the day of your visit. The information provided is basic, but then again, so is the £3.00 printed version. The racedayready App can be download from the iPhone App Store or Google Play for Android devices.
Catering: Here at Racecourse Advisor, we enjoy doing “racecourse reviews” rather than restaurant reviews. We do not pretend to be food critics. We aim to give you an overall idea of what culinary options and prices are available at the racecourse on race days.
Racecourse Advisor did its first review of Leicester Racecourse in 2022. Regarding the catering, we wrote, “This is the worst catering on a racetrack we have ever witnessed at the time of writing” and rated it 1/10. Unfortunately, we have to report that nothing has changed. It is still shockingly poor. There is one single main food outlet on the whole of the racecourse.
Catering in the Main Grandstand – Leicester Racecourse
Located in the Main Grandstand is the “Punters Café.” It is a small area that, on the day of our visit, was dishing up a BBQ pulled pork roll with coleslaw and spring onions or chilli with sour cream & chive baked beans for £8.00 per serving. A tuna melt or ham & cheese panini for £5.00 each or a basic cheese & tomato version for £4.50. A small selection of cakes for £3.50 or a bag of crisps for £1.50. A cup of tea or a cappuccino, latte, mocha, or hot chocolate was £3.00. There were a few round tables and chairs to sit on, thankfully, and that was about it.
At the other end of the large room is a bar area, again with a few tables and chairs selling pints of Madri lager or Rekorderlig cider for £5.00. Bottles of Staropramen (330ml) for £4.00 and cans of Guinness (440ml) for £6.00 a pop. A glass of red, white, or rose wine (187ml) was £7.50 each. Also inside, there is a large William Hill tote concession that, on the day, was totally deserted. We found the whole place a tad depressing, so we didn’t hang around in there for long.
The only other food outlet on the racecourse was a small outside unit next to the Premier Bar. It was selling hot dogs with onions for £6.00 each. A beef pasty for £3.50 or a sausage roll for £2.50, along with a selection of cakes, teas, and coffees.
To say the catering facilities and options are basic at Leicester Racecourse is somewhat of an understatement. They are shockingly poor, and the racecourse management needs to be called out about it. It wouldn’t take a lot of time and effort to improve things, but it's clear they just can’t be bothered.
The Outside Catering – Leicester Racecourse
They are taking their paying customers for granted, and it simply isn’t anywhere near good enough and hasn’t been for a number of years. Our genuine advice is to eat before you arrive at the racecourse or bring a packed lunch with you. Rating: 1/10.
Guinness Standard: No draft Guinness anywhere on the racecourse, only cans (440ml) at £6.00 each. Rating: 1/10
Viewing: Leicester Racecourse has two main viewing areas: the old Winning Post stand and the much newer and more modern grandstand.
The Viewing Enclosures – Leicester Racecourse (The Grandstand (top left) The Winning Post Stand (top right) The Owners & Trainers Area (bottom Left) & the Large TV Screen (bottom right)
The Winning Post stand is positioned directly in front of the winning post. In our review two years ago, we noted that the stand looked a bit decrepit and needed a coat of paint. Unfortunately, two years on, it still does. However, it's worse than that… On the day of our visit, the stand was closed completely to the general public due to “safety reasons.” This is due to very large cracks appearing at the base of the concrete steps and terracing. So it was all fenced off and a no-go area. In our opinion, the stand is clearly in need of significant investment to bring it up to order or a complete demolition and a brand new stand built. Whilst it is quaint, it does look to be in seriously bad repair. With this stand closed, viewing is now restricted to either standing on the lawned area directly in front of it or the newer grandstand, which is some distance away from the winning post.
The Grandstand – Leicester Racecourse
The grandstand, in our opinion, is the only highlight of the racecourse. Opened in 1997 (by Frankie Dettori), it is an impressive structure. It has around 15 concrete terraced steps and numerous barriers. It also has around twenty white plastic seats situated over the entrance, which takes you into the bar area underneath. It has plenty of cover, and you will be well protected from the elements should that be required. It looks across the home straight and the rest of the racecourse beyond.
The overall viewing experience is good, and you can see the horses in running for the vast majority of time while racing. Just past this stand, around a furlong from the winning post, is a large permanent TV screen. There is also a lawned area that runs for around three furlongs along the length of the home straight and has a number of bench-style seats dotted about. Due to the Winning Post enclosure being closed off, we have deducted a couple of points from our rating in this section. Rating: 7/10.
Parade Ring / Winners Enclosure: The parade ring is located in the main paddock area of the racecourse. It is large and oval in shape. It is accessible for around 60% of its perimeter.
The Parade Ring – Leicester Racecourse
There are a number of raised, concrete viewing steps along the near side of the ring that offer good views of the horses when parading. Without being over-critical, the feeling you get is that the parade ring is “functional”, but nothing more. The addition of some flowers, baskets, and shrubs, as they have at Ripon, Beverley and numerous other racecourses, would make a huge difference in improving the aesthetics of this area. It wouldn’t take much effort or cost, and it would make a big difference. The winner's enclosure is a separate area but located immediately next to the parade ring, directly in front of the weighing room.
The Winners Enclosure– Leicester Racecourse
Once again, the word “functional” springs to mind. It’s a relatively small area to house four horses and all of the jockeys and connections after a race, and it does appear to get somewhat crowded. This is another area that would be greatly improved by a splash of colour with some flowers or baskets to brighten things up. Rating: 7/10.
The Jockeys Leaving the Weighing Room – Leicester Racecourse
Bookmakers / Betting Facilities: The on-course bookmakers are located in a large area in front of the main grandstand
The Main Bookmakers Ring – Leicester Racecourse
However, on the day of our visit, there were only a total of five bookmakers in attendance. Three in the main ring and a further two located in between the Winning Post enclosure and grandstand. It’s a vast area, so it has to be said it did look a little forlorn and desolate. However, the attendance on the day was minimal, so the five bookmakers were more than ample. There is also a large William Hill concession in the bar area of the grandstand and a number of Tote concessions on the course. Rating: 8/10.
Friendliness of Course Staff: There are plenty of friendly course staff located at numerous points around the track. They are helpful, cheery, and happy to offer information and advice. Rating: 9/10.
Pros & Cons: Unfortunately, Leicester Racecourse has more cons than pros. As mentioned above, the catering facilities are poor, and the racecourse's owners really do need to address this. The least you can ask on a racecourse is for some decent food and drink to be provided if they expect paying customers to return. The parade ring is a decent size, but along with the winner's enclosure, it is drab and needs to be brightened up. The very small number of bookmakers on course at the meeting just added to the bleak and stark feeling that the racecourse gives off. The pricing of the entry tickets was OK, and the car parking was good. The modern grandstand is very nice, and it is the highlight of the racecourse.
As always in our reviews, we ask ourselves the question, would we return? The answer is a plain and simple no. It is a racecourse that has an unloved and dejected feel about it. Exactly what you don’t want when you pay to go to a day out at the races. It needs investment. It needs care, and it needs effort. However, we are far from being convinced that this will happen at Leicester Racecourse anytime soon. Around half an hour away is Nottingham Racecourse, and within an hour, there are Southall, Uttoxeter, and Wolverhampton. All of which knock the spots off Leicester Racecourse in any category you care to mention and will give you a much more enjoyable day of racing. Rating: 6/10.
Wi-Fi / Internet Connection: The internet connection worked fine on the day of our visit.
Overall Racecourse Advisor Rating: 6.3/10.
The entire day's racing results can be found here: https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/meeting/2025-02-13/leicester/110076
Facilities & Location Layout of Leicester Racecourse
(Image acknowledged & credited Leicester Racecourse Company Ltd.)
Aerial View of Leicester Racecourse
(Image acknowledged & credited to Google Earth)
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